The invention relates to a linear guide comprising a guide rail with a base, side faces and a top surface, a slide with a web part crossing the top surface and legs opposite to the side faces, and guiding means between the slide and the guide rail. The guiding means comprise at least one circuit of rolling elements. A load-transmitting rolling element row of this circuit is located between a load-receiving track of one side face and a load-receiving track of one of the legs. Between the load-transmitting rolling element row and the top surface, the side face of the guide rail has a profiled layer which overlaps the load-transmitting rolling element row and which prevents removal of the slide from the guide rail.
Linear guides of the above described type are known but it is disadvantageous that the slides have to be slipped onto the guide rail at one end. This is possible only when the slide already has been adjusted in true alignment with the respective guide rail.
The alignment is difficult, especially when the slide or rather an attaching part connected on it, is heavy, and in particular when several slides are bolted to one table. In this case there is the danger of misalignment. In the case of such a misalignment a retainer securing the rolling elements in the slide can be damaged or a rolling element can be pushed out of this retainer with the consequence that the course of the rolling elements is disturbed, the working life reduced, and possibly the slide is out of working order. The slides are frequently provided with sealing lips which are supposed to protect the gaps, accomodating the rolling elements between the slide and the guide rail, from the ingress of dirt. In this case there is furthermore the danger of distortion of the sealing lips on assembly with the consequence that dirt can then pass through the sealing lips. The conventional mounting of the slide is particularly difficult when in the guiding means and especially in the load-transmitting path a preload is to be provided, as it is often the case to obtain a bearing free from play and with high rigidty. The assembly is made extremele difficult, in particular when this preload is supposed to be placed through the mounting of the slide on the guide rail with a corresponding dimensioning of the distance of the slide ways and the rolling elements.